We seem to have slug issues in our garden. I am not used to this because the slugs we had in New Mexico were specks compared to the leviathans I have found among my begonias.  I learned that there is no myth to the application of salt to a slug causing its untimely, if not slightly disturbing demise. Next time, instead of sprinkling the buggers with Morton’s, I will be laying a trap of cheap beer instead. Might as well let them die happy, well, as happy as a slug can be anyway.

Pittsburgh boasts the fact that it has 446 bridges. This has even earned it the nickname “City of Bridges”. I personally think this should be changed because while it has 446 bridges Pittsburgh has 2.4 million people, every single one of them rubberneckers.

Never in my life have I seen traffic slow down to a halt to gawp at accidents on the road. Every time there is one traffic almost stops completely. Case in point; while driving home on Friday I was delayed 30 minutes. I was heading in bound on the parkway and there was an accident on the OUT BOUND side. This didn’t even affect us. We are separated by concrete. But oh no! The rubberneckers heading back into the ‘burgh had to get their looks in before they could head on. The traffic report on the radio even stated that out bound on the parkway was slowed due to an accident and then the traffic reporter added “and those of you inbound will be slowed by the rubberneckers”. FFS.

In my quest to make serious lifestyle changes to better myself and my family I have decided that we will be eating a lot more fresh fruit and veg. Not only is it better for your overall digestive system but it is good for weight control (I still want to drop about another 30 pounds or so). So we (the husband unit, mother and I) will be eating total vegetarian meals four days out of the week. The other two days (for me) will be fish, fruit and veg and one day out of the week I can have red meat, chicken, etc if I want.

Now we’re going bi-vegiul, not bi-vegan. I still need my dairy and eggs. I did go out and purchase two great cookbooks (or I think they are) by the author Nava Atlas. One is her 5 ingredient cookbook which I am really enjoying because I have never really cooked total veg before and these recipes are simple and easy to put together. The other is her family cookbook and it has recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Going veg will mean more trips to the store. At least once a week, because you can’t stock pile fruits and veg without them going off. This in mind, I think it is a fair compromise. And hopefully next year I will have a bit of my own vegetable and fruit garden going and won’t have to get as much at the store all the time. At least not in the summer and part of the fall.

Skyblast has started. For those of you who don’t know what Skyblast is, it’s pretty simple; towards the end of the Pittsburgh Pirates season you can purchase tickets to watch an awesome fireworks display called ‘Skyblast’ at PNC Park. It’s impressive and gives me the sense of what it must be like to live in a war zone (sans fear of death of course).

We have a great view of Skyblast from our third story roof. With my new camera in hand, I turned off the lights, opened the window, pushed up the screen and started clicking away. When I had finished I closed the screen, leaving the window open and turned the lights back on. I settled myself on my computer (which I am sat at now) to check out my pictures. From behind me I heard the jingle of my dogs’ collars, my husband saying “What’s that?” and the flutter of paper thin wings. I turned around and Holy flying rodents! It’s a bat, man!

Somehow this creature of the night had snuck in while I was capturing my visuals. I quickly shooed the dogs downstairs. Tricksy was eying it and the last thing I needed was a midair collision which would result in flying blood, fur and rabies tests. Opening the screen window, I went to retrieve something to cover our hands if we had to grab the little fella. However, by the time I got back up he had flown off into the night through the window.

I’m not afraid of bats. I quite like them, but having them or any flying creature just appear in your living room can take you by surprise. I am not to sure how he got in under our radar but perhaps he just wanted to see how well my new camera was doing.

My mom gave me the great gift of going to the Police concert with totally bitching seats (have to say it the 80s way) and today I got another early birthday gift from the husband unit. A lovely, new, D-SLR, Nikon camera. The battery is charging and my “trigger” finger is ready to get shooting. Too bad I can’t take a picture of it with it! Mirrors might come in handy for that.

At the rate I am going I won’t have anything to open on birthday but cards, but that’s okay, I think I will survive.

A year ago today we packed up our cars, loaded with personal items and the pups and headed east towards our new home. It doesn’t seem like it’s been a year since that long trip started but it has been.  Where does the time go?

Today would have been my father’s 69th birthday.  Sadly, he is not here to celebrate it. He died far to early from colon cancer.

That is why on this day I want to remind all of you that regular screenings for colon cancer is something you want to be sure to do. Colon cancer is one of the slowest growing and easily treated cancers. When it is caught in the early stages it’s survival rate is extraordinary.  So please, don’t miss out on any birthdays. Talk to your doctor about colon cancer and any other necessary cancer screenings.

Today is the anniversary of my second wedding to the same man.  The husband unit and I were married today, in the United States, eight years ago. In October we will celebrate our 9 years anniversary of our first wedding in the UK. So to my brilliant husband unit, here’s to eight wonderful years and can’t wait until we get to nine!

Last night my mom and I went to see “The Police” in concert. We had fab seats where I could feel Stings breath on my face.  It was a completely stupendous evening.  I will post some of the pictures later and will be uploading video to you tube as well.  However, I can’t really hear the clicking of what I am typing  at the moment due to the ringing in my ears.

I collect the State quarters. I have done very well. However, I am missing one for 2007. For some reason I don’t have Wyoming. I could have sworn I had that buckaroo, but alas, I do not. If anyone happens to have an extra laying around could you send it my way? I will happily exchange it for another twenty-five cents in any fashion you wish. Be it two dimes and a nickel, five nickels, or twenty five pennies. Thank you for your consideration. In Heather We Trust.